Kodomo
by Akihanah
Summary: Kagome brushes death, and revives jut a little....different. Read and review
1. Ice and Wind

**Hello all. Hopefully someone will read this. One of my first fanfics, and I'm not that great a writer. Please read and review, and I might continue the story. I have ideas for where this can go. And PLEASE no flames. I really don't need anyone to tell me how bad this story is. Constructive criticism is a good thing. –Akihanah**

Kodomo: Ice and Wind

Kagome trudged onward, keeping her face down, shielding it against the wind. The sky had been clear that morning, but now it was full of swirling black clouds.

_Of all the times to be wearing a short skirt_ Kagome thought as she pushed her leg through the now knee high snow. She looked up the trail, where Inuyasha was trying to break a path through the snow. It was his fault they were out here in the first place.

He had smelled Naraku, and took off into the woods, without looking back. Kagome had grabbed her bow and arrows and took off after him.

And here they were, several hours later, fighting their way through the storm. Worse, Kagome felt the cold beginning to affect her. Her feet and hands were beginning to go numb. Each step became a battle between her body and her mind. She knew that she had to stay with Inuyasha, but her body was about ready to give out.

_Inuyasha...don't you notice? I don't think I can keep moving much longer. Where are you going? _

Kagome stopped, as a wave of dizziness passed over her. _My body, its not responding. Inuyasha......don't you notice? Do you even care? Am I...am I just a jewel detector? I love you...my heart is for you, but you don't care? Is Kikyo the only one who has a space in your heart? The only one....... no room even for me? _

An extra strong gust of wind blew into her, and she was picked up and thrown into the snow bank to her side. As she hit, she didn't notice several pricks on her skin. She tried to fight her way out of the snow, but she was unable to summon the strength to pull herself out of the snow. She lay, and darkness pulled at her consciousness. She looked weakly into the distance, searching for the red kimono of Inuyasha. He was walking into the distance, fading from her vision. Blackness filled her mind.

_Inuyasha..._

Inuyasha pushed aside snow, pushing his way forward. Kagome was behind him, and she seemed to be struggling to walk. He knew that the extreme cold and wind was bad for her, and that he should find shelter soon, for her, and for himself. He heard Kagome stop, but continued to walk, thinking that she would continue moving in a second. However, she did not move. He then heard a thump, and turned to find Kagome lying in a snow bank, unconscious.

_What!?!? How did she?-....... Oh no, she fainted from the cold. _

Inuyasha sprinted back to Kagome. He gently pulled her body from the snow. Her skin was cold, her face and hands were pale, her breathing shallow. He lifted her up, and proceeded to run through the snow. He needed shelter fast. Kagome was dangerously close to death.

In the distance he spotted a shack. _Gods, just in time _Kagome didn't feel right. She had gotten too bad too fast. This wasn't normal. She was already completely still in his arms. He barely heard her breathing.

Inuyasha kicked open the door. The hut was recently abandoned. There were still supplies stored on shelves. He pulled out several blankets, and lay Kagome on them. She was still completely still, showing no reaction to anything. Inuyasha noticed her soaked clothing. He gulped.

_Her clothing, it-.......it has to come off._

He searched the cabin, and found a kimono. He loosely wrapped it around her. He then reached under and pulled off her clothing. He tied the kimono, satisfied that he hadn't seen anything. He then grabbed several more blankets and lay them on top of her.

An hour later, a fire was roaring in the hearth, the temperature in the hut had risen greatly, but Kagome was still unmoving.

_That is strange. She should have responded by now. Why is her breathing so shallow and her skin pale?_

Inuyasha was worried. Kagome was sick, and lay dying, and there was nothing he could do.

_Why? Why must I watch her die? _

Inuyasha slammed his fist through the floor in his rage. Then a light bulb went off on top of his head.

_I could get in with her, and keep her warm. She will kill me in the morning....... but she means more to me than my bruises. She is.....she is Kagome. My----my Kagome. She loves me.......and I----I _

Inuyasha slipped in under the blankets. He wrapped his arms around Kagome and tucked her body into his chest, his face in her hair.

_Please Kagome, live. I don't want to live if you aren't there._

Suddenly Inuyasha noticed a slight change in her scent. It had been there for a while, gradually growing stronger, but it had taken him until now to notice.

_She smells......different. What happened? Wait..... blood?_

There were several pricks on her body. They were just big enough to draw blood.

_How did those get there?_

Inuyasha noticed a slight movement from Kagome. She shivered.

"That's good Kagome," he said aloud. "You're going to get better." Kagome stirred and started to shake in his arms.

_Whoa...this ain't normal. What the hell...?_

Kagome didn't respond but continued to shake.

**Hehehe...cliffhanger. Don't worry; I have an idea for where to go from here. Please review. **


	2. The Demoness

**Hello again. Sorry about the evil cliffhanger. I usually try not to leave them, and hopefully won't do as many in the future. -Akihanah**

**Notes to the reviewers:**

**Cherryblosomz and fairybells, you are my first ever reviewers. You will always occupy a special place in my heart. Arigato gozaimasu. (It is ok to be hyper. Most of the people I know are, so I'm used to it)**

**Disclaimer: Hehehe, I forgot this in the last chapter. I think we all know that Rumiko Takahashi-san owns Inuyasha, and I don't. (and probably never will) I just borrow her characters every once in a while. **

Kodomo: The Demoness

Inuyasha sighed. Kagome had gone the entire night without change.

_And..... that blood? Where did it come from? Well, Kaede-babaa should be able to explain. _

The storm had lifted about an hour ago, and Inuyasha decided it was time to go find the rest of his gang, and take Kagome to Kaede's. He wrapped a blanket around Kagome's body, and lifted her onto his back.

"Hold on Kagome. Hold on........"

Inuyasha threw open the door and was confronted by a gust of wind.

_What the......?!?_

"Inuyasha. At last. Kukukukuku, is the girl dead yet?"

"Bastard, who are you? And what have you done to Kagome!?

A figure materialized from the snow. She was wrapped in several loose, light blue kimono. Her skin shone white. Thin blades of ice floated around her while several held back her masses of long, shining black hair.

"I am the demoness Yukimari. The girl is mine, and her spiritual power will give me the ultimate control of the snow. You are meaningless. You will die."

She held her hand out, pointing it at Inuyasha. Her fingers began to glow, and ice spears shot from them. Inuyasha jumped and just barely missed becoming a pin cushion.

"You won't get away!" Yukimari calmly stated, continued to fire ice spears at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha kept dodging the spears with ease. Yukimari then held her hand out, and a blade of ice appeared. She took it and jumped, flying toward Inuyasha.

Inuyasha growled. _Feh. I don't have TIME for this. Kagome is still sick, and I have to help her._

Inuyasha drew the Tessaiga. "Take this witch! KAZE NO KIZU!!!!!"

Wind flew from the Tessaiga, enveloping the demon. She was enveloped by snow, and vanished. The snow and dust settled, and Inuyasha sighed.

"Not much in you, eh, hag? Feh, not even worth my time."

Inuyasha took off for the village.

Several hours later, he sat on the floor in Kaede-babaa's hut, telling Miroku, Sango, and Shippo the story of the night before and that morning.

"It seems obvious to me that the demon was trying to kill Kagome, and that is what is causing her illness." Miroku said.

Yes, but why isn't she dead? She has lasted until now; shouldn't the spell have killed her faster?" Sango asked.

Shippo remained silent, worried about his adoptive mother.

We'll just have to wait for Kaede-babaa to come out." Inuyasha said.

Kaede emerged from her hut.

"Inuyasha, I think it best that you come with me first. This will be a shock for you."

Inuyasha followed Kaede into the hut. He gasped.

Kagome lay on the floor of the hut. She looked mostly normal, except for the large, black dog ears resting atop her head. She also had claws and fangs. Her scent was also different. She didn't smell human anymore.

_That was what her scent changed to? But...... why?_

"Kaede-babaa, what happened? Why does she smell like a hanyou?"

Kaede sighed. "She is a hanyou, Inuyasha. The spell of the demoness should have slain her, but when you held her and tried to protect her, a different power took hold of her body, and it changed her. She became a hanyou, and the spell was destroyed."

"What was this power? The one that saved her?"

Kaede looked into Inuyasha's eyes.

"The power came from you, Inuyasha. It sensed that she was dying and came out. The power is very simple as well, everyone has it. But it is very powerful. The roots of it lay in you.

"She is loved Inuyasha. Loved by you. And that was what saved her."

**Sorry, I'm going to leave another cliffhanger. But I'll update pretty soon, so I think you'll survive. It is a bit sappy, but I still think it's pretty kawaii. This chapter was fairly short, ne? I'll try to make them longer. **


	3. Hanyou

**Yeahhahaha. The third chapter. I PROMISE no cliffie at the end of this one. (this is for you cherryblosomz) To answer a question, I've set this about right after the Shichinin Tai, as a sort of side story. –Akihanah**

**Notes to my reviewers- **

**Cherryblosomz- Maybe you should stay away from sugar for a little while. ;-) and please don't cry, it makes me sad.**

**Myrrh Fae- Thank you for your criticism. I appreciate it. Though, Kagome may not have been able to do anything about her condition. It is very easy to just think you'll be fine and keep going. I got pretty close to hypothermic with that mentality, and I know how to detect and prevent it. (long story)**

**Lady Rosebit- Glad you like the hanyou part. Keep reading. **

**Disclaimer- Inuyasha is way too cool for me to own. I can always dream though....**

Kodomo: Hanyou

Inuyasha continued to watch Kagome. Her color had improved steadily over the course of the afternoon. He was lost in thought, remembering the reactions of his three companions to Kagome's new situation

(flashback)

Miroku stepped through the door. He stopped, and Sango ran into his back, taking him down as she fell. Shippo darted through the melee and ran to Kagome's side. He inhaled. Then he turned to Inuyasha and Kaede.

"Why is she a hanyou?"

"HANYOU?!?!?!" came two strangled yells from the two still tangled in the doorway.

Kaede sighed. "By a power Kagome was transformed. She is now a hanyou, instead of dead." She glanced at Inuyasha, and he realized that she would refrain from mentioning that it was love that saved her. He was grateful.

Sango and Miroku untangled themselves and ran to Kagome. Both were captivated by the sudden appearance of ears, claws, and fangs; Kagome looked very different with them.

Suddenly Miroku looked up, and stared straight at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha. She doesn't know. She will wake up and find herself in this state. Someone will need to be here to explain to her what happened. "

"What are you getting at, bouzu?"

"Inuyasha, she will probably take this news best from you. You were there when she passed out, and with her throughout the process." He paused. "You will also be more able to withstand a physical attack."

Inuyasha growled. "Feh."

Kagome awoke with a start. _What? Where am I? Did I.....pass out? _

"Awake, finally? Geez, you took a long time."

Kagome looked up, and spotted Inuyasha in the corner. She heard his breathing, quick and shallow. He was nervous about something.

_What a sec? Since when could I hear someone breathing across the room? And Inuyasha..... smells nervous. But how can I smell that?_

Flick flick. Flick flick. Kagome's hair twitched.

_Hold on. Why is my HAIR twitching? _Kagome tentatively reached up to feel her head. Her hand touched one of the black dog ears that now occupied a space on her head. Kagome's eyes widened in shock. She looked at her hands.

_Claws. _Kagome sat, still in shock, then looked up and stared at Inuyasha.

"What.....has.....happened....to.....me? She said, taking deep breaths to keep her temper down.

Inuyasha was considering running. He had never seen Kagome this dangerous, and she now had hanyou strength.

"Feh. You were attacked by the magic of a demoness. Your body started to freeze and I had to look after you. So you're a hanyou. But look on the bright side. You don't have a weak, human body anymore."

Kagome didn't seem to respond. She stared into the floor. She seemed like she was going to lose it, but pulled herself together and looked into Inuyasha's eyes.

"Osuwari."

Kagome walked out of Kaede's hut, past Inuyasha, cursing and trying to pull his head out of the ground. She kept walking, straight through the village, to the rice fields. She then ran to the Inuyasha forest, finally stopping at Goshinboku. She sighed.

_I'm a hanyou. Like......Inuyasha. _She stroked the trunk, touching the place where Inuyasha had slept. _My family, my friends, how will they react? Can I even come back to my time? How could I even go to school, with a form like this? _Tears slipped out, and flowed down her cheeks.

Lost in thought, Kagome didn't notice Inuyasha creeping up. He stayed downwind, and made as little noise as possible.

_She's crying? Is that because.....she doesn't like being a hanyou? This is my fault after all. She doesn't know all of the truth..... Well, it is my fault that she's crying. _

Inuyasha jumped, and landed next to the tree. Kagome looked up, startled, and found Inuyasha looking at her.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. It.....I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Please don't cry." He stopped, then gently wrapped his arms around her. Kagome cried into his robe, and he held her, gently rocking her.

"Gmmphh. Let me see, Miroku."

"This isn't suitable for young viewers, Shippo."

"But I want to see."

"Hush you both. It's getting good."

Kagome smiled. She pulled herself from Inuyasha'a grasp, and went to the bushes around the god tree.

"Hello there. Nice show?"

"Lovely. Though I think you and Inuyasha should have kisse-" the rest of Miroku's statement was muffled as Sango, then Inuyasha decked him.

"My my. So much violence." Shippo sighed as he eyed the now unconscious monk.

**Well, so ends Chapter 3. I have school starting on Monday, so I'll be updating a little less often. I will keep updating though, so just be patient. **


	4. Family Matters

**Hello again. Geez, it has been forever since I updated. Well, I don't really have much of an excuse. I had school, and a trip, and I was stressed, not to mention short of inspiration. But those are lame. So just read and review.- Akihanah**

**Notes to the reviewers-**

**Cherryblosomz- I don't really believe you will stay away from sugar. Hehe, but thank you for trying. (sort of) **

**Linii-chan- I try to make them long, and I will do that more so now that the updates will be fewer. **

**Savexmyxsoul, Princess Paine of Darkness, Tobias- here you go**

**Disclaimer- Inuyasha no mine. You no sue. We all happy.**

Kodomo: Family Matters

Kagome sighed. Her new body was hard to adjust to. She wasn't used to having the kind of strength, speed, and especially reflexes she now possessed.

_How does Inuyasha cope with this? _

It had been 2 days since her talk with Inuyasha by Goshinboku. She had been adjusting to her new body since then, and had made several discoveries. She didn't need to eat and sleep as much, though Inuyasha kept trying to get her to do both.

Her spiritual powers were, if anything, stronger. They were easier to grasp, and more powerful. She knew that she could be a lot more help to the group, able to fight and defend herself more. She liked that. Feeling helpless wasn't very enjoyable.

Inuyasha had been unusually pensive. He had only been like this after encounters with Kikyo, and Kagome was beginning to wonder if he had met her while she was out. It was putting her in a foul mood, but Inuyasha had been watching over her, so she really couldn't complain.

_I am......just a friend to him. He loves Kikyo, and I won't stand in his way. _

Kagome sighed, but then brightened.

_Sango probably wants help with dinner. I can go have some girl time with her, and I'll feel better. _

Kagome headed to Kaede's hut, to locate her friend.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha sat in Goshinboku. He stared off into the distance, thoughts filling his mind. (not common for our hanyou, ne?)

_Kagome seems to be alright. Though, she doesn't seem to be quite herself._

Inuyasha continued to ponder the new situation, until he was rudely interrupted by our favorite kitsune.

"Inuyasha!!! Dinner!!!!" Shippo yelled as he hurled acorns, rocks, and anything that could be used as a projectile toward the half demon.

Inuyasha jumped off his branch and grabbed Shippo by the tail.

"You could have been nicer"

"You were spacing! You didn't hear when I yelled. So I got your attention. You got a problem with that?"

Inuyasha dropped Shippo, who fell headfirst to the ground.

"Come on squirt."

Inuyasha and Shippo entered the hut to wonderful smells.

"Glad you decided to show up." Sango said as she served them both. "We were wondering if you were going to get up."

"Feh."

The group dug in. After the food had been devoured and everyone had relaxed a little, Miroku posed the question that had been on all their minds.

"So, when do we resume looking for Naraku and the Shikon no Tama?"

"How about tomorrow morning?" Kagome asked.

Everyone stared. "Kagome, are you sure you are ready to go out? You haven't even visited your time." Shippo said.

"You should go visit your family for a while, Kagome-sama." Miroku added.

"They probably miss you." Sango chimed.

Kagome sighed. "I'm not sure I want to go see them. I don't know how they will react to this form."

"Well, they still should know." Sango said.

Inuyasha remained silent. He wanted to resume searching for the Shikon no Tama, but Kagome came first. She needed to tell her family. As much as he would like it if she never went to her time, he knew she had family and friends there, and would not be happy staying in the Sengoku Jidai.

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked up. Kagome watched him, and asked him: "would you mind if I went to my time for a couple days?"

"Alright. We can wait a few more days."

Again, everyone stared. No complaint from Inuyasha? No order to return immediately? What was going on?

Inuyasha noticed the stares of his friends and reddened. "I just think Kagome should visit her family. They should know what happened. But we should go search for the Shikon no Tama soon."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She leapt up and hugged him, then grabbed her pack and exited the hut.

"I'll be back by tomorrow night!" She called back, as she took off for the forest and the dry well.

Kagome slowed as she neared it. As much as she appreciated the faith her friends had, she didn't really want to show her family. She wasn't sure how they would take it.

_What if..... they don't like me as I am? I know the risks of fighting and traveling in the Sengoku Jidai, but they might not accept that. Well..... I might as well go._

Kagome stood on the side, trying to will herself to jump in. Eventually, she just tipped her weight forward and let herself fall. The familiar power embraced her, and she landed on the bottom in her time.

_Touchdown_.

"Nee-chan!!!" Sota called down the well, practically levitating with excitement. "You finally came back! I missed you so much. Did you bring the dog guy with you? How long will you stay this time?"

Kagome smiled, and tried to control the wetness that sprung up in her eyes. She grabbed the ladder, and ascended.

Sota eyed her curiously as she came over the edge of the well.

"Kagome....did you marry Inuyasha?"

Kagome stared. "Where did you get that idea?"

Sota pointed. "You have Inuyasha ears. And claws, and fangs. So," he eyed her suspiciously, "did you get married?"

Kagome laughed. "No Sota. I didn't get married. I can explain the ears and all, but I want to tell Mama and Jii-chan too."

A little over an hour later, she sat in her living room, her mother, brother and grandfather all staring at her ears and pondering her tale.

"But Kagome, don't you know _why _you are a hanyou?" Her mother asked.

Kagome paused. _Inuyasha said I became a hanyou, but he never said why I became one. He just said I did. Does he not know....or doe she know and not want to tell me? _

"I don't know. I am just like this, I guess."

"How is she going to go to school?" Sota asked.

"I don't know Sota. I suppose, if I could hide the ears and claws, then no one would know."

"That would work." Her mother stated.

Kagome sighed. Her family was obviously still shocked by her changes. Maybe coming hadn't been a good idea.

"Umm..It has been a long day. Could I just go to bed? We could deal with this in the morning."

"That's a good idea." Her mother said. "Sota, you should go to bed too."

"Awww....Mama.."

Kagome smiled as she trudged up the stairs. Her family seemed all right, and they would talk more in the morning.

She changed into her pajamas, and lay down in her bed. As her conciousness ebbed, she smelled a familiar scent. She smiled.

_Good night, Inuyasha._

**I suppose I am cruel to end like this. Oh well. I'll try to update soon. Alright, a question for you all. Who would you like/not like to appear in this fic? Like, side characters. Kagura, Sesshomaru, Rin, Naraku, Kohaku, Kikyo, etc. I'd love your feedback.**


	5. Family and Friends

**Thank you for the reviews. They kept me motivated, especially through school and stuff. Well, I personally don't like Kikyo, but I don't want her to die. So, she probably won't appear. (sorry savexmyxsoul) If she does, there will be no second thoughts from Inuyasha. That always drives me crazy. Koga will show up, but Inuyasha and Kagome need a little time to settle in before he does. Wow, this si an extremely long author note. Read the chapter, and I'm sorry its so short!- Akihanah**

**Notes to the Reviewers-**

**Thank you all again. You hold a special place in my heart. I think I answered most of you up there....so read up there. ;-)**

**Disclaimer- These are tough to keep interesting. Well, I claim no ownership of Inuyasha or anything in it. **

Kodomo: Family and Friends

Kagome opened her eyes to sunlight streaming through her window. She moaned, and rolled out of bed.

"About time you got up."

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha, osuwari."

BAM.

She stood, and glared at the now subdued hanyou. "I still need to say good bye to my family. And I think they still are in shock from hearing about this. I'll be back in a couple hours. So, go back now, and let me deal with this."

She grabbed clothing and walked to the bathroom to shower and change.

When she emerged downstairs, Inuyasha was wolfing down a bowl of ramen, while her family eyed him over their breakfasts.

Kagome sighed, and grabbed a plate of food.

"Kagome, are you going back today?" Her mother asked.

"Awww...you're leaving already, Nee-chan?" Sota whined. "You only just got back."

Kagome was stunned. Her family was taking this very well. Last night had been shock, and they should have been much unhappier in the morning.

Her mother lifted Kagome's head. "Kagome, we know this is a hard time for you. We will always be here for you, and I love you, no matter what happens." Her mother smiled, a smile that could be interpreted as a woman who knows she'll be a grandmother soon, or just a happy smile.

Sota smiled and hugged Kagome. Even her grandfather smiled and decided to bless them all with another legend from the shrine to show that he also still loved Kagome. They all tuned him out.

"Thank you so much. I-....I really don't know what to say." She smiled. Her family smiled back, her mother through wet eyes.

Inuyasha, who had remained conveniently hidden in the background, remained silent. The sheer acceptance of Kagome's family did make him jealous, but he did want for her to be happy. She definitely wouldn't have been if her family hadn't accepted her changes. But, it did make him feel slightly lonely sometimes.

"Inuyasha, I have an hour before I have to go to school. Want to play with me?" Sota tugged on Inuyasha's haori, and had on a face that made it impossible to refuse. Not that he would have.

A little over an hour later, Kagome and Inuyasha walked into Kaede's hut, where they were greeted by the others of their gang.

"How'd it go, Kagome?"

"Very well," Kagome replied, and she launched into the tale of what had happened over the night at the Higurashi household.

"Wow. Very understanding, you family is, Kagome-sama." Miroku said.

"I'm just happy they were able to accept your....changes." Sango added.

Inuyasha broke the conversation. "Well, shouldn't we continue our quest? We have been out of it fro a long time already."

"Sure, let's go."

Within an hour the group had headed out. They walked the rest of the day, seeing nothing but pretty birds and trees, and the occasional small creature. As the sun began to set they found a clearing in the forest they had been traveling through. It was unanimously decided to stop there for the night. The various members went off to do various chores. Sango and Kagome set about cooking, as Shippo and Inuyasha collected wood, and Miroku got water. Soon they all sat down to eat.

"Ahhh." The contented sighs filled the camp.

Sango was the first to start to nod off. She yawned, and found a patch of grass near the campfire. She curled up, and soon was sound asleep. Then Miroku, Shippo, and Kagome curled up around the fire and fell asleep. Kirara tucked herself into Sango's arms and started to purr. Inuyasha was sitting in a tree, and he too soon slept. All was well.

The wind began to blow, then to howl ferociously. The temperature dropped. The sky blackened with clouds and it soon began to snow. Through the wind and snow filled air, a figure emerged.

Yukimari smiled to herself. _As if I would die so easily. _

The snow had taken the brunt of the blow from Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu, but she had been unable to move for several days due to her wounds.

_And now I shall take my revenge. The miko will be mine, as will the half-breed's head._

The demoness laughed, a cold, cruel sound that filled the clearing, and sent the few creatures that hadn't already fled scurrying.

Inuyasha blinked slowly. _I don't remember it being this cold when I fell asleep. _

He looked around sleepily, and suddenly was wide awake.

_Snow?_

He was already confused, but then he looked into the clearing below. His eyes widened with shock.

"What-?"

He looked around the now empty clearing, covered with an untouched layer of snow. He jumped down and began to look around aimlessly.

_Where the fuck did they go?_

He sniffed, hoping to get a faint trace of Kagome's scent. It was very faint, and simply ended in the clearing. According to his nose, she had simply vanished from the spot.

_Wait, I've smelled this stench before. The witch, Yukimari! She didn't die? Shit, but where did she go?_

Inuyasha lifted his head and let out a feral roar.

**This is probably one of my shortest chapters. Gomen ne. I will be updating soon, probably over the weekend, so this cliffhanger won't last long. Besides, I need to give Yukimari a good show. I did spend over an hour thinking her up. She wasn't about to die that easily.**


	6. Kidnapped

**Hello again. Chapter 5 was obviously wildly popular seeing as it got a grand total of one reviews. Well, hopefully you like this one a little better, and maybe review it after reading.-Akihanah**

**Notes to the Reviewer-**

**Cherryblosomz- suspenseful? Wow, I didn't think I could be that..haha. Hope you like this chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha. But, on a brighter note, I do own the plot for this story and Yukimari. YAY!!!**

Kodomo: Kidnapped

Kagome blinked sleepily, and tried to sit up. She suddenly stopped, and tried to fight the bindings around her legs and arms.

"So, you are awake."

Kagome looked up, and saw a figure in the shadows. "Who are you?"

The demoness laughed. She stepped out of the darkness. "I am Yukimari. I almost took your life once before, but this time I shall not be stopped. Only one obstacle remains to taking your spiritual power. It will soon be removed, and your power will be mine."

She laughed, a cold, harsh sound that echoed through the frigid night. She disappeared into the dark in one end of the room, presumably through a door. This unseen door slammed shut, leaving Kagome alone in the dark, windowless room. She shivered. It was obviously night, and she was freezing.

_How long has it been since I fell asleep? Where are Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippo? The last thing I remember was us all falling asleep in that clearing, and then it got really cold. But, how did I get here?_

She groaned. If she had been human, she would have frozen by now. Even her hanyou body was stiff in this cold. _This Yukimari must like the cold._

Kagome fought to stay awake. She was exhausted, but she also knew that sleeping would mean death by freezing.

_What did she mean by one obstacle remaining to her killing me? Wait, last time she tried to kill me Inuyasha saved me. So, Inuyasha is that obstacle? _

Kagome shot up, her eyes wide.

_So, she means to kill him? But, he defeated her before, right? How does she plan to beat him? She must have a trap. Oh no! Look out, Inuyasha!!_

Meanwhile, in a different corner of the temple, a warmer one, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo all huddled together. Miroku wasn't even trying to do anything lecherous. He knew he was freezing, and feeling Sango's bottom would get him evicted from her presence, which would cause him and her to freeze.

Sango moaned. She had been the first to wake, on the bottom of the pile they had formed. She knew it was night, but had no idea how they had gotten there. After rousing Shippo and Miroku, they had all huddled.

All three had looked around and tried to see anything like a widow or door, but hadn't found any way out of the room. So, for now, they had all huddled together, in an effort to conserve warmth.

"Sango, where do you think Inuyasha and Kagome are?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know Shippo. Though, Inuyasha was a good ways away, in the tree, so maybe whoever kidnapped us forgot him." Sango said, hope brightening her face.

Kirara suddenly transformed into her big cat form, and wrapped around the other three. They all looked gratefully at her.

"Well, hopefully they are both safe." Miroku added.

Sango nodded. Shippo burrowed further into Kirara's side, and hoped that Kagome was alright.

The wind howled, and beat against the sides of the temple. It was going to be a long night.

Inuyasha was randomly running around the woods, trying to pick up the scents of any of the group. He had been doing so all day, and the sun was going down. Inuyasha came down next to a tree, and punched clean through it.

"Inuyasha-sama, must you be so violent?"

Inuyasha slapped his neck, and the flatten flea floated down to the ground.

"Why have you been running about wildly? You've been doing so all day."

"Myouga!!! Do you know anything about a Yukimari? She's kidnapped everyone!"

"Yukimari? The snow demoness? She lives nearby, but I haven't heard of her going after humans before. Normally she freezes anything that enters her territory."

"Where does she live? I need to go there now!!!"

Myouga sighed. Sometimes it was difficult, being the retainer of such an impatient person.

"I shall show you the way, Inuyasha-sama."

Yukimari stood atop the roof of her temple. The snow told her that Inuyasha was coming.

_He hasn't noticed the power that has been trailing him. He will be easily captured. Then, I can kill him. _She smiled in anticipation.

_The girl has enormous spiritual energy. Not only that, she is very similar to Kikyo, the miko who guarded the Shikon no Tama. _

Yukimari frowned.

_Kikyo was also the one who killed my sister. One shot, and she was dust in the wind. I must avenge her, and will do on this pale shadow of Kikyo. Her spiritual energy will allow me to find my sister's lost spirit, and bring her back to the snow. I shall end her aimless wandering._

Inuyasha ran through the woods. He could smell Yukimari's scent, and it was also getting colder. His senses were dulling. His eyes would barely stay open.

He stopped suddenly, and began to shake uncontrollably.

"What the hell? Kuso!!!"

His consciousness slipped. The last thing Inuyasha saw before he fell into the snow was a thin woman appearing from the dark of the night.

"Uhn."

Inuyasha moaned. His body was frozen, and he could barely open his eyes. Yukimari laughed.

"You fell easily to my spell. You are nothing to me."

Inuyasha groaned. His body was still frozen. _Chikuso..._

Suddenly he stiffened. _Kagome. I smell Kagome. She's alright. _He sighed in relief.

Yukimari frowned. Inuyasha didn't seem very aggravated about his condition. If anything, he was relieved. _Maybe he just needs something to worry about. _

_Shing_

"AAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Kagome jolted out of her stupor. _Inuyasha....? That WAS him screaming? Oh no!! Yukimari has found him. Noo.._

Kagome ran to the door and slammed into it. _I will not let her hurt him. I will protect him. _

As she slammed against the door, she felt the wood give slightly. She backed up and slammed again. The crack widened. Kagome then used her claws to pry the door apart through the crack. Wood scraps flew about the darkened hallway. Kagome lifted her nose and sniffed.

_Inuyasha's scent, its coming from.... here!!!_

Kagome burst through another door to enter a room. Yukimari turned to her in surprise. In her hand was a sword, dripping blood onto the floor. Behind her lay Inuyasha.

_Nooo...._

"INUYASHA!!!! NOO!!!!!"

Kagome lunged toward Yukimari, and just barely missed cutting her open. Yukimari dodged to the corner, and fled down the hall through the door Kagome had just destroyed.

Kagome ignored her and ran to Inuyasha. He was bleeding from his side, where there was a deep gash.

"Inuyasha, don't die. Please don't die. 't bear it if you were to leave me. I....I love you." Kagome pulled Inuyasha's body into her lap and held him gently.

"Umf. Kagome...you can let go. I'm really fine."

Kagome stared horrified into the golden eyes of the other hanyou. He looked back up, not looking at all discomforted by the wound in his side.

"Inuyasha, we need to bandage this." Kagome stammered, still shocked that Inuyasha was alive.

She grabbed several conveniently placed rolls of bandages, and proceeded to wrap the wound.

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Inuyasha?"

"Earlier, you said," he gulped, "you said, you loved me. Was that true?"

Kagome stopped bandaging for a second. _He...he heard that? _

_Baka!!! Of course he did. He's alive!! Alive..._

Kagome started to cry, then sob. Inuyasha frantically turned and tried to calm her down.

"Shit!! Never mind, forget I asked Kagome, it's alright, really..."

"Inuyasha, you're alive!! When I heard you scream, I thought you...you," she sobbed, "I thought you were dead. I was so scared, I thought you were gone, because...I.....I love you."

"Sshhh. Its alright." Inuyasha took Kagome in his arms, and held her, stroking her hair.

"I lied."

Kagome looked up at him, slightly startled.

"When I told you what happened with Yukimari, I didn't tell you everything. True, you were saved, but it was because, well, she cast a spell on you, and you were supposed to die, but...but it didn't work all the way. Another force stopped her spell, protected you. It was," he gulped. "Well, you were saved because, I love you."

Kagome looked up at him in shock. _He...he loves me? But, what about Kikyo? I'm not just a shard detector? _

Her ears perked up. (I love that I can do that) She reached out and threw her arms around him. They held each other for a long time, enjoying that they were together, and that they knew the love they shared.

Sooner or later they'd remember Miroku, Sango, and Shippo.

**No, it's not over. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo are still trapped somewhere, Yukimari is on the loose, and it'll be fun to explore the depths of the relationship between those two. Now I just have to get Miroku and Sango together. **


	7. The Next Morning

**The last chapter also got a huge amount of love. The review I got was excellent. I loved it. (note the singular) I liked that chapter too...-Akihanah **

**Notes to the Reviewer-**

**Cherryblosomz- You are the only person to review the last two chapters. My heart goes out to you.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko-san does, the lucky lady. **

Kodomo: The Next Morning  


Sango shivered. The tiny room that she, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara were trapped in had not gotten much warmer. She would probably have frozen if they all weren't all huddled together.

_BANG! CRASH! _And other noises made by people running around in the dark.

"WITCH! GET BACK HERE!!!"

"Inuyasha?" Sango, Miroku and Shippo all chimed together.

More crashing noises followed. The sounds of sword on sword. A battle. And we will never know what happens in it, because I don't like writing about fighting.

A few minutes later the door to the room was broken down. The four inside blinked and tried to see past the glare of light that entered the room.

"KAGOME!!! INUYASHA!!!" Shippo recovered a little before the others.

"You're both ok!"

"Yes we are Shippo-chan. Inuyasha and I are both alright." Kagome smiled.

"Who were you fighting? And are they dead?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha growled. "Feh! The witch ran before I could finish her. If it wasn't such close quarters I could have defeated her easily."

"Inuyasha, you take these things too seriously. She'll be back, and you can destroy her then." Miroku chided. Privately he was happy to be alive, and hopefully soon warm.

Kagome looked over the others. They all looked worse for the wear, and the cold obviously was gnawing at them. Sango was shaking, and Miroku looked a bit blue.

"Come on. Lets go find someplace warm to spend the rest of the night."

Shippo stirred slightly. It had taken less than an hour to escape Yukimari's youki induced blizzard. They had finally stopped at a small cave. All of them had curled up on Kirara's stomach. He was curled up in Kagome's lap. He grinned when he saw that Inuyasha was holding Kagome to his chest as he slept

_Someone was moving in the night._

Sango was huddled next to Kagome, and Miroku had an arm around her. Shippo's grin widened.

_There was a lot of movement last night. _

Shippo curled back up; knowing that as soon as Kagome or Sango woke up, hell would break loose.

_Though, Kagome was rather warm to Inuyasha last night. I don't think she would really mind if she woke up in his arms. Though, I can expect a good show when Sango awakens. _

The kitsune slowly drifted back to sleep.

The morning was beautiful. It was warm, pleasantly so, especially after the blizzard the night before. Birds were singing, and life was going on as normal.

"AHHHHHH!!!! HENTAI!!!!!"

fwap

Yes, life was normal.

Sango glared into the fire. _That hentai..._

Meanwhile Miroku, freshly handprinted, smiled fondly up at the sky. _That was totally worth the pain._

Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo stared at them shamelessly. _Wonder which one will snap out of it first?_

Breakfast passed quickly and quietly. Sango quickly stood up and gathered the dishes.

"Kagome-chan, would you like to help me with the dishes?"

"Sure Sango-chan."

The girls headed off towards a nearby stream.

Miroku sighed. Inuyasha and Shippo continued to stare at him.

"Miroku, you know that you should be nicer to Sango, ne?" Shippo said, breaking the rather uncomfortable silence.

"Eeeeh? Shippo, that would be far too un-normal for him. She would think something was wrong." Inuyasha said.

Miroku sighed again. _I am so misunderstood. _

**Well, that's it for now. I am feeling pretty burned out, but I wanted to put something up. It's definitely the shortest chapter I've ever written. I have rented movies waiting and maybe they will bring me some inspiration. **


	8. A Girl's Heart

**Alrighty, I like this chapter, and worked really hard on it. By the way, Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights are both insults to Chinese culture and people, but both are great movies. I highly recommend them. -Akihanah  
**

**Disclaimer: Do we even have to put these every chapter? If I didn't own Inuyasha when I started this, would I now?  
**

Kodomo: A Girl's Heart

Sango trudged along the narrow path. She heard whispering behind her, but ignored it. The sun was sinking into the mountains behind her, and she could feel the tang of salt air on her skin. _The ocean. _

The ocean had always fascinated her. She had only seen it once, during her training. Her father had taken her on a trip to exterminate demons in a far away castle, and they had passed by the ocean on the way back. It had been one of the last trips he had taken her on, before the ill-fated sojourn to Naraku's castle.

_Naraku...you will die. For father, and Kohaku. And for Inuyasha, Kagome, and...and for Houshi-sama. _

_Houshi-sama. _Sango had been shocked more than anything to awaken in his arms. He had always been after every pretty woman, and shamelessly flirted with any girl.

_Seeing all those pretty girls who he normally goes after, how could he possibly want me? I have the body of a taiji-ya, muscled and scarred. _She gulped. _He probably just did that to keep warm...or worse. He needed some sort of female presence, and Kagome was with Inuyasha. I...have no real worth, then..._

Sango sighed. She was tired, but she didn't want to stop and have to face the others in her group. _I'll just keep going, until someone decides to stop._

Meanwhile, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo all stared at Sango.

"Oi, bouzu! I think Sango wasn't happy about what you did, especially if she is still avoiding us. Maybe try not to do anything lecherous tonight, and see if you can get her happy."

Kagome sighed. _Sometimes Inuyasha is sweet, but then baka Inuyasha pops out. Though, that was pretty good, for him. _

Kagome ignored the argument between Miroku and Inuyasha and ran up towards Sango.

"Sango-chan! Lets stop, ok? There's a creek ahead, we can camp there."

Kagome ran up to her friend and looked into her face. Sango looked about ready to cry.

_Yup, we are definitely stopping. _

Kagome took Sango by the hand and lead her to the creek. They dropped their belongings, then Kagome lead Sango upstream. Kagome finally stopped once they were far out of eye and earshot, then turned towards Sango.

"Sango-chan. What's wrong?"

Sango sighed wearily. She knew when Kagome had grabbed her that she was in for a questioning.

"Kagome-chan, may I ask you something personal?"

"Sure."

"Why are you and Inuyasha suddenly comfortable together?"

Kagome swallowed. _Well, it wasn't as if it was going to stay hidden, even if we tried._

"Well, in Yukimari's castle, I slipped and told him that I love him. Then," she smiled, "he told me that he loved me."

Sango smiled. _So, he admitted it. About time, Inuyasha. _

"Sango, what's bothering you?"

Sango sighed. Kagome wasn't going to give up.

"I...don't understand what Houshi-sama thinks of me."

Kagome was startled. Of all the things she expected, this was not one of them. _I should have expected it too. BAKA!!! _

"Sango. He holds you in very high regard. I also think he likes you very much. He hasn't been nearly as lecherous since you've joined us. You have awakened something in him. I think he loves you dearly Sango."

Sango shook slightly, shivering.

"Come on, lets go back. The boys are probably worried about us."

Meanwhile, at the campsite...

"Bouzu, you really need to take care of Sango."

Miroku looked up, slightly surprised. "Why do you say that, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Even I am caring sometimes. I can tell that Sango cares about you, and you're being an idiot. Get over it."

Miroku was so completely distracted that part of his robe caught fire. Shippo frantically beat it out, but Miroku didn't even twitch._ If even Inuyasha is able to see the relationship between Sango-sama and myself, then it must be obvious. _He sighed. _I really must do something then. Maybe, I should apologize for what happened last night._

Right then the girls returned. Kagome grabbed her pot and filled it with water, to begin cooking some soup she had stored in her pack. She and Sango cooked, or, she cooked and Sango stared at the ground. Inuyasha dragged Miroku off to get firewood, and Shippo stayed at camp to help Kagome.

When they had all returned they ate, and sat around their fire contentedly. Shippo and Kirara promptly fell asleep, and Kagome dragged them both a little ways away, so that any talk wouldn't disturb them. Then, she dragged Inuyasha off to "escort her to the creek, so she could get more water." Sango and Miroku both immediately knew they were giving them privacy, in addition to securing some of their own.

10 minutes passed in awkward silence. Miroku was staring off towards the east, Sango towards the west. Each grew more uncomfortable by the second. Sango finally started to shiver.

Inuyasha and Kagome returned, only to find silence and two awkward figures. Kagome sighed and sat near Sango, and Inuyasha grabbed Miroku and hauled him off towards the creek.

"Baka!!! Just tell her! Or do something that's not lecherous."

"Did you really find it that easy? I notice it took you a long time to tell Kagome-sama about your feelings."

Inuyasha growled. _Hopeless bouzu, he just needs to get it out. _

Miroku sighed and sat down. Inuyasha growled and went back to the campsite. Kagome and Sango were talking, and when he returned Kagome gave him a questioning look. He sighed, and rolled his eyes. Kagome frowned. _Hopefully Miroku will get around to it. _

The three of them settled down, Inuyasha up in a tree, and Sango slept next to a large boulder, with Kagome on her open side. Neither of them awoke when Miroku returned to camp. He hunkered down close to the remains of the fire and slept sitting up.

The morning dawned bright and clear. Shippo looked up sleepily from his place by Kirara. Sango and Kagome were curled by a boulder, Inuyasha was up in a tree, and Miroku was on the opposite side of the fire from the girls. He sighed.

_Miroku was obviously an idiot again. _

Shippo walked over to Kagome's bag and rummaged through it. He smiled and held up his prize. He ran back over to Kirara and wolfed down the pocky. _Ahhh, my sugar levels have been replenished._

Shippo sighed. _Everyone seems to be pairing off. Sango and Miroku will eventually, once Miroku gets over his lecherousness. Inuyasha and Kagome have felt that way for so long. It is a good thing they are finally together. Kagome...she has Inuyasha now, so she probably won't have as much time for me. _Shippo sighed. _Life didn't used to be so complicated._

The other members of the camp stirred awake. They all packed up and cleaned in a half awake stupor, and continued down the road towards the ocean. Shippo walked alone, a little ahead of the rest. They got to the ocean about an hour after starting. The group stopped to rest for a little while, enjoying the view. Miroku looked around, and then returned to the group.

"We are very close to a large town. It is about half a days walk down the coast. We can spend the night there."

Sango sighed. As much as it hurt to be around Houshi-sama, she drew some comfort from his presence. A village meant that she and Kagome would be in a room alone, with Inuyasha and Miroku in another.

They all kept walking down the coastline, enjoying the breeze and soothing effects of the ocean.

The town loomed near, and they soon stepped into the streets. Miroku found the best guest house in the town and went through with his "exorcism." The rest of them went off to look around.

Sango went off to the beach, and lay there with Kirara for a long time. Kagome and Inuyasha went off to the edge of town by the fields, and Shippo hid in the woods near the town. At dark they all returned to the inn, and ate the wonderful dinner provided by their host.

The biggest shock came when the inn owner lead them all to one room, with only a screen to separate the genders. As soon as the man left Inuyasha moved the split against the wall. He curled up next to Kagome, and they promptly fell asleep. Sango scooted close to the wall, and huddled miserably under the blankets. Miroku got up and walked over to the blankets in the corner.

"Sango-sama."

The blankets stopped moving.

"Sango-sama. I would like to talk to you."

Miroku walked over to the door, and slipped out. Sango lifted her head from the blankets, and then got up and followed him. The door was slid shut behind her.

**Ok, I felt like leaving a cliffhanger. Just so you know, I am in a horrible unrequited love situation, so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to love problems. **


	9. Reflection

**Hey again. Well, it has been a long time. I'm in the middle of moving, so do not expect to hear from me for a while. Sorry, it did take me this long.-Akihanah**

**Notes to the Reviewers:**

**Faye- well, right now I don't think there's anyone able or willing to do it. Most of my close friends are really busy, and don't do fanfiction. Oh well. Thanks for he critcism. And, yes, I am in love with one of my friends. It sucks.**

**CTHSKI- Well, I did say I was in a horrible love situation….so I have some experience with this. Thanks for reviewing. **

**Disclaimer- Inuyasha is Rumiko-sama's. I am not Rumiko-sama. If ab and bc…then ac, right? Math working in the real world.**

Kodomo: Reflection

Sango was breathless with emotion. She rolled out of the futon and followed Miroku out of the room and out onto the engawa. Miroku had already settled himself against a pillar. He looked, relaxed, calm as he gazed out to the ocean.

Sango plopped down, hard enough that she bounced off the engawa and landed on the grass below. Her face turned a lovely shade of red.

Miroku carefully looked away, his face contorted as he tried not to laugh.

"It is late, Sango-sama. Are you sure you are entirely awake for this?"

Sango turned redder. "Of…of course, Houshi-sama." She stuttered. "I..I meant to do that."

Miroku just smiled.

"So, what was bothering you?"

Sango stiffened. _I should have known._

"Um, nothing, Houshi-sama. Everything is perfect. We should probably sleep though, because we have to continue our journey in the morning."

"Sango, have you become miserable because Kagome-sama and Inuyasha have found peace? And, and because we have not?" Miroku continued to gaze out toward the ocean. Sango couldn't see his expression.

"You should know, that no matter what happens, I still stand by my promise. After we have destroyed Naraku, and if my kazaana is removed, then I will settle down with you, if you would bear my child."

Sango was stiff. Then she leapt up and hugged him, knocking him off the engawa and then rolling with him down the hill until they hit the road. Several old men looked out the window of a nearby hut, growled about young people, and went back to sleep.

Miroku groaned from between Sango and the road.

"I assume that means yes?"

Sango nodded happily.

From the window Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo all giggled. Then they went back to sleep. Sango and Miroku returned, and managed to sleep somewhat near each other.

**Well, that was really short. Gomen ne. I'm really tired, but I wanted to put something up. Love you all.**


	10. Shippo

**Hola peoples. I just finished moving, well, we're in the new house. Its still messy and full of boxes and stuff. It really sucks. At least now I have internet access. I hope to finish this story soon. I usually don't keep going for that long on a story. I just have to figure out how to end this one…-Akihanah**

**Notes to the Reviewers-**

**Tobias- Aww, thanks. Share the love. **

**CTHSKI- perhaps, except its not over yet**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing. I'll tell you when I do.**

Shippo

Miroku glanced around his group. They all looked rather happy, content even though they were going to continue to face dangers and trials.

Shippo ran ahead, chasing butterflies, dust, and light. Kagome and Sango watched and laughed. Inuyasha simply rolled his eyes and "keh!" Miroku smiled.

He sensed nothing, no evil or youki, so he relaxed a little, and allowed himself to enjoy the journey.

Yukimari watched the group through a layer of ice on the wall of the cave.

_That hanyou, and the miko…they destroyed my home, and almost killed me, so many times. They will pay. They will pay. _

She eyes the small mouse in front of her. It stared right back, tiny red eyes glistening through the bars of its ice cage.

_Their time will come. Work hard._

Shippo yawned widely. He eyed the others gathered around the fire. Kagome and Sango had just returned from bathing, and were talking animatedly. Miroku stared off into space, obviously annoyed that he had been forcibly kept at the campsite while the girls were washing. Inuyasha looked no less happy, as he had been the one forced to carry out the orders. Kirara had curled up in Sango's lap.

_Yup, same old, same old. _

Darkness had settled on the land. The stars were out, along with enough moon that it was easy to see.

_It's very beautiful here. Kagome has said that humans have made her world much less pretty. It's a shame, to destroy all this._

He drew his attention back the people around the fire, his friends.

_All of them pairing off, well, it is a good thing that they are happy together. Though, it will take a lot of work for Sango to get that lech Miroku in hand. _

"Heh." _She'll just whack him with hiraikotsu. That would work. But how will they ever get along with him being like that, and Sango always being mad?_

_And I still don't know how Kagome has been accepting Inuyasha. If Kikyo were to show up, then Inuyasha would go to her, the baka. Kagome has always forgiven him though, but it hurts her so much. Baka Inuyasha. _

_I suppose, that just leaves me alone. _

Shippo sighed. _Whatever. _

"Shippo-chan?"

Kagome watched him, looking a little worried.

"Nothing, Kagome. I was just, uh, thinking."

Um, okay, Shippo-chan." Kagome pulled out her sleeping bag, and set it up.

Shippo looked up and noticed that four other sets of eyes watched him. He reddened instantly.

"Ahhhhh, why are you all staring at me?" Shippo asked.

"Thinking, eh? What of?" came Miroku's reply.

"Nothing, really. Wow, I'm tired, I'm going to bed." With that, Shippo curled into a ball on Kagome's sleeping bag and pretended to sleep.

The rest of the group gave him strange looks, but soon started talking again.

_I can't let them be worrying about me when they have their hands full trying to keep their loves working. _

Soon he drifted to sleep.

"He's asleep." Inuyasha announced.

"I wonder what he's thinking. He looked sad." Sango sighed. It didn't seem fair for all of them to be happy, but for Shippo to be sad. Usually he was the happy one.

Kagome sighed. "I think he may be worried about what will happen to him."

"Ah. Now that you have Inuyasha, Kagome-sama, he is worrying that he will not have a place. It makes sense." Miroku stated.

"Poor Shippo-chan." Sango added.

"Keh."

"Inuyasha, don't you feel sorry for him?" Kagome asked, accompanied by a glare.

Inuyasha sighed. _Of course I do. But, will all this babying really help him? Though, I don't want him to feel like I did. No one should have to go through that, especially not Shippo. I want him to be loved, even by me. _

"I have an idea. Come on, Kagome."

Kagome got up and followed, somewhat confused.

Inuyasha stopped by her sleeping bag, and pulled off his haori. The kit curled beneath him did not stir. Kagome just watched, still looking rather confused. Inuyasha dropped to the ground, rolled onto his side, and threw the haori over the kit. He then gazed up at Kagome, eyebrows raised.

Kagome understood. She got into her sleeping bag, leaving the open side to Inuyasha unzipped. She let Shippo lay in her arms, while Inuyasha wrapped the haori around all three of them, and held Kagome and Shippo close.

Sango and Miroku watched, and silently gave approval.

Kagome is like a foster mother to him, and Inuyasha may as well be his father figure, kami help us.

Sango was the next to retire, curling under a blanket near the fire. Miroku soon sat next to her, leaning against a rock, and was fats asleep within minutes. The friends slept peacefully through the night.

Shippo woke inside a strong embrace. He sniffed, and recognized the closest scent as Kagome. He opened his eyes, and saw that arms were holding Kagome. He looked up, and saw to his surprise that Inuyasha had Kagome in one arm, but another arm was wrapped around him.

_What the….?_

_I thought they would have kicked me out of the bed, or slept somewhere else. Why are they here with me? Surely they would have wanted to have time for themselves, to be together. _

_They wanted to include me. _

Shippo smiled, and felt the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes.

_I am loved. _

"Oi, you awake, runt?"

"Inuyasha?"

"Ohayo. What? Don't go all wimpy and pathetic on us."

Shippo tried to stop the tears, but had little success.

Inuyasha leaned forward and rubbed his forehead against Shippo's, then brushed it with his lips, in a rare gesture of affection.

"Now don't wake up Kagome, or I'll hit you." He said gruffly, but Shippo was in too much shock to comprehend.

Kagome giggled and gazed at Inuyasha. "And if I was awake for a while…?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Well, I don't get a good morning kiss?"

"You expect too much."

"Maybe I do." Kagome sighed, and stretched out, rolling her back around to get out the kinks.

She started to pull herself up, only to find that Inuyasha had thrown his legs over hers, and was making it hard for her to get up.

"Mou, Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha leaned forward and kissed her. Then he moved his legs, and got up to wake the others.

Kagome laughed, a smile lighting her face.

"Well, Shippo-chan? Will you help me repack the sleeping bag?"

Shippo was still trying to recover from shock, and was unable to do more than sit in deep thought.

Kagome giggled, and lifted him up, holding him up with one hand while she picked up the sleeping bag with the other. Shippo recovered enough at this that he was able to jump down and aid Kagome enough to get everything repacked.

_Wow._

**Well, there we are. See y'all next update.**


	11. The Last Dance

**Hey ya'll. Sorry it took me so long. I had three papers, a project, and a fundraiser all happening last week. Its kinda sad that this is ending, but I like how it turned out. I know there aren't as many details in this chapter as some of you might want, but that means they're open for interpretation. –Akihanah**

**Disclaimer: I do own Inuyasha! Happy dance Just kidding.**

The Last Dance

Shippo frolicked in the grass outside the small hut. It was still fairly early, and the occupants of the small village had yet to come out of their huts.

"Shippo-chan? Awake so early?"

Shippo turned around and gazed at his mother. Kagome was much rounder now, evidence to the life growing within her. Inuyasha had married her, and shortly afterwards her scent had changed, first, to the smell of Inuyasha's mate, next, to show the pup she carried. Inuyasha had been pleased, naturally.

Sango and Miroku had also married, though Shippo could not smell the evidence of mating on the humans, he knew they had to have, seeing as Miroku was such a lecher. Sango was also showing signs of expecting.

Shippo grinned. _Life is going to be interesting._

"Kagome? Should you really be up so early? You need to sleep." Inuyasha appeared in the door. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I'm just having a baby. I'm not dying."

"Feh! At least come sit down."

"Kagome!" Kaede's call over the hill saved Kagome from having to submit to Inuyasha's wishes. She hurried after the aged miko. The group had built two small huts right at the outskirts of the village, close enough to protect it from youkai, but far enough for privacy.

Sango appeared at the entrance to her hut. "Inuyasha? Did Kagome…?"

"Feh, yes she did. She should be resting, too."

Sango grinned. Inuyasha was very protective of his miko, and she knew it would be a long pregnancy for Kagome. Of course, Miroku was no less protective… She knew she wanted it just to be over.

"I was thinking that I could make breakfast for everyone if Kagome will be busy wish Kaede-sama."

Inuyasha nodded, and went after Kagome, obviously about to try to get Kagome away from Kaede and back to bed.

Shippo rolled his eyes. "Its going to be a long couple months, ne Sango?"

Sango smiled. "Yes, it most definitely is."

"Sango?" Miroku poked his head out the door.

"Coming, Miroku."

Sango re-entered the hut. Shippo grinned. He was always happy when everyone else was so content.

"Kirara! Sango is making breakfast!" The neko youkai jumped out of the bushes and rubbed her head against Shippo's front. Shippo laughed as he entered the hut. The last thing he heard was an indignant yelp from Inuyasha, and Kagome's annoyed growl.

_Well, I suppose its 'happily ever after…' nah. Life is too interesting to be the end right now. Well, I guess it's just our last dance. _

**Well, its over. That was probably the longest and most successful story I've written. Thank you so much for sticking with me. You guys rock. I might start another story, but I have to catch up with my schoolwork first. Ja ne- Akihanah**


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